“That’s the voice of Tommy Tit the Chickadee, and it must be that his wife is with him, for I hear him calling ‘Phoebe!  Phoebe!’ How lovely of them to come down to see me so soon.”

Just then she heard another voice, a deep, beautiful, ringing voice, a voice that she loved.  It was the voice of Veery the Thrush.  “Oh!” cried little Mrs. Peter, and then held her breath so as not to miss one note of the beautiful song.  Hardly had the song ended when she heard the familiar voice of Redeye the Vireo.  Little Mrs. Peter clapped her hands happily.  “It must be a surprise party by my old friends and neighbors of the Old Pasture!” she cried.  “How good of them to come way down here, and how glad I shall be to see them!”

With that little Mrs. Peter hurried over to the tangle of vines from which all the voices seemed to come and eagerly peered this way and that way for a sight of her friends.  But all she saw was a stranger wearing a very sober-colored suit.  He was very polite and told her that he was an old friend of Peter Rabbit.

“If you are a friend of Peter, then you are a friend of mine.” said little Mrs. Peter very prettily.  “Have you seen anybody in this tangle of vines since you arrived?  I am sure some friends of mine are here, but I haven’t been able to find them.”

“No,” said the stranger, who was, of course, Mistah Mocker the Mockingbird.  “I haven’t seen any one here, and I don’t think there has been any one here but myself.”

“Oh, yes, indeed there has!” cried little Mrs. Peter.  “I heard their voices, and I couldn’t possibly be mistaken in those, especially the beautiful voice of Veery the Thrush, I—­I would like very much to find them.”

Mistah Mocker had the grace to look ashamed of himself when saw how disappointed little Mrs. Peter was.  Very softly he began to sing the song of Veery the Thrush.

Little Mrs. Peter looked up quickly.  “There it is!” she cried.  “There”—­ she stopped with her mouth gaping wide open.  She suddenly realized that it was Mistah Mocker who was singing.

“I—­I’m very sorry,” he stammered.  “I did it just for a joke and not to make you feel bad.  Will you forgive me?”

“Yes,” replied little Mrs. Peter, “if you will come here often at shadow-time and sing to me.”  And Mistah Mocker promised that he would.

CHAPTER XXVIII

NEWS FROM THE OLD BRIAR-PATCH

To use your eyes is very wise
And much to be commended;
But never see what cannot be
For such as you intended. 
Peter Rabbit.

Jenny Wren is a busybody.  Yes, Sir, she certainly is a busybody.  If there is anything going on in her neighborhood that she doesn’t know about, it isn’t because she doesn’t try to find out.  She is so small and spry that it is hard work to keep track of her, and she pops out at the most unexpected times and places.  Then, before you can say a word, she is gone.